1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a thermosiphon cooling assembly for dissipating heat generated by an electronic device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various thermosiphons for dissipating heat generated by an electronic device are well known in the prior art. A typical thermosiphon includes a refrigerant disposed in a boiling chamber. The boiling chambers absorb the heat generated by the electronic device and boil a refrigerant for liquid-to-vapor transformation to dissipate the heat. This process is governed by well-known general theories of nucleate boiling.
These thermosiphons typically include a housing, a boiling chamber, a refrigerant and one or more condenser tubes. The refrigerant is disposed in the boiling chamber. Heat generated by the electronic device is transferred to the refrigerant by the boiling chamber and boils of the refrigerant to generate vapor. The condenser tubes are typically disposed directly over the boiling chamber and extend upward directly to the housing top to receive the rising vapor. Flowing air through the air passages and across the condenser fins can cool the condenser tubes. The cool temperature surrounding condenser tubes transforms the vapor into cool liquid. The condensed liquid is returned to the boiling chamber via gravity. The heat is transferred to an air stream that flows over a finned external surface coupled to the condenser tubes and is exited from the housing. A thermosiphon assembly as described above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,498 to Reyzin et al.
Various compact electronic devices desire low profile thermosiphons. However, the condenser tubes included with traditional thermosiphon assemblies provide a minimum height impracticable for implementing in compact electronic devices. Therefore, what is desired is a low profile thermosiphon assembly that utilizes the processes of heat transfer, boiling and condensation to dissipate heat generated by an electronic device.